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Kill the Idiotic Bill -- Not the Geese

April 26, 2012 | Hunting & Wildlife Management / Geese / Take Action

Captain Chesley Sullenberger, who landed his US Airways flight on the Hudson River after birds were sucked into both engines in 2009, interviewed with CBS Evening News anchor Scott Pelley, and revealed alarming news that New York City plans to build garbage facilities next to city airports, a dangerous move that will guarantee birds being attracted to those areas.

Pelley: Sully, why has the number of bird strikes increased so dramatically?

Sullenberger: Scott, the bird populations have increased and we're flying more flights now that we've ever had before.

Pelley: What could airports do about this?

Sullenberger: Effective land-use planning around local airports is the best to prevent birds from roosting near the airport. It's important that we not build anywhere near an airport anything likely to attract birds, especially trash facilities.

Pelley: You don't want to build a garbage dump next to an airport, for example?

Sullenberger: Exactly. In fact, in New York City right now there are plans to do just that, and it's a terrible idea to build something that is likely to attract birds. Video and full transcript

NEW YORK - The problem of birds living near some of the nation's busiest airports is coming under renewed scrutiny after two emergency landings in a week and more than three years after the famous ditching of a jetliner in the Hudson River.

U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand on Wednesday proposed making it easier to round up geese from a federal refuge near Kennedy Airport and kill them, an idea that's meeting opposition from wildlife advocates.

A JetBlue plane bound for West Palm Beach, Fla., made an emergency landing at Westchester County Airport north of New York City on Tuesday. A Los Angeles-bound jet made an emergency landing at Kennedy Airport after a bird strike on the right engine a week ago.

No one was hurt, but Grant Cardone, a sales training consultant who was on the flight out of Kennedy and was filming video from his window in seat 1D as the birds hit the plane, said it was scary.

"I felt like the plane was going to roll over on its right side," Cardone said. "Those five or six seconds were terrifying."

Cardone, 54, said he texted his wife that the flight was in trouble and added, "I love you and I love the kids." Afterward, the pilot managed to stabilize the plane and land.

Gillibrand's bill would empower the U.S. Department of Agriculture to remove Canada geese from the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge during June and July when they are molting and can't fly.

"We cannot and should not wait another day to act while public safety is at risk," the New York Democrat said in a statement.

But the idea of a goose roundup at a wildlife refuge that is part of the National Park Service has its detractors.

"It's the only bird refuge that we have in New York City," said Edita Birnkrant, New York director of Friends of Animals. "If they can't be protected in a wildlife refuge, then where can they be protected?"

Birds can shatter windshields, dent fuselages and ruin engines. The issue is getting greater prominence than it has had since January 2009, when Capt. Chesley Sullenberger became a hero for successfully ditching US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River after a flock of geese hit it following takeoff from LaGuardia Airport.

Gillibrand's legislation targets Kennedy, where bird-management programs have been in place for more than 30 years. The bill would expedite the removal of birds from parts of the wildlife refuge that are within 5 miles of the airport. Read more...

What You Can Do

Please call NY Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's Washington DC office and ask to speak to Legislative Assistant Jordan Baugh at 202.224.4451. State your strong opposition to Gillibrand's proposed bill which would change current law and open up the federally protected Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge to the USDA's Wildlife Service agents and allow them to capture and kill the Canada geese in the New York City refuge.

We cannot allow this destructive bill to pass and set a dangerous precedent that would declare open season on wildlife in refuges that exist to protect them. Air safety will be only improved by focusing on deterring geese and other birds from airports through habitat modification, effective land-use planning and radar detection, not by killing birds

Comments

Submitted by Jennifer Barski on Wed, 2012-05-02 12:13

Killing these geese will not solve anything. This is really disturbing.

Friends Of Animals Have Helped Us Before In Protesting The Killing And Torturing Of Our Resident Canada Geese And Other Birds In New York City. The Politicians Contract USDA To Kill The Geese By Capturing Them When They Are Molting And Helpless Because They Are Unable To Fly Away And Escape. They And Their New Born Young Gosslings Are Then Tortured By Gassing Which Is A Horrible In-Humane Way To Die. The ASPCA Stopped Gassing Pets Years Ago For That Reason. The Geese Should Not Be Killed. We Have To Do Our Share Of Writing to Political Leaders As Well As The Press (And, We Shouldn't Be Paying Taxes For Killing Innocent Birds And Animals). However, We Also Need Friends Of Animals To Help Us Again In Protesting This New Bill To Kill Our Resident Geese When There Are Many Humane Methods That Can Be Used To Deter And Manage Geese And Other Birds Without Killing Them (In Addition To What Has Been Said, How About Sonar And Radar Like Israel Uses? They Have Been Able To Avoid Bird Strikes Since They Implemented This Method. What About Heavy Duty Screens On Jet Plane Engines To Prevent Birds From Being Pulled Into Their Motors And Ground To Death? Our Resident Geese Are Used As Scapegoats While Politicians State That It Is For Travel Safety. Resident Geese Don't Even Leave Their Neighborhood And Parks To Fly To Airports. I Have Seen These Gas Trucks Much Further Than 9 Miles From Any Of The Airports In Their Search And Killing Of Our Resident Geese. These Birds Are Smaller And Fly Much Lower Than Migrating Geese That Are Protected By Migration Laws. (Remember That It Was Migrating Geese From Labrador That Brought Down The Plane On The Hudson Several Years Ago; Although They Should Not Be Hunted Down Either). It Is Usually The Planes That Fly Into The Flock Of Flying Birds (Not The Other Way Around). Please Fight To Stop This Bill And Save Our Birds And Keep Our Parks And Wildlife Refuges Safe. Thanks.

The senator is like all these stupid, over react for votes polls like her and Chuck who just want to get press time. They ought to stick to what they know, which is getting rich off us, and taking our money.

I am shocked that Senator Gillibrand who I call our friend would do this ! The birds have been the same as ever and its true more flights and having a dumpster at the end of a runway is asking for problems . We are killing Geese for a few years now and its appalling ! I say no more Geese killed we've done enough . Just ask those of us who were in Prospect Park on Goose watch . They were taking goslings as well ===Its very sad ===We haven't learned